Meet the Teachers

Claire

Piano and Guitar Teacher

Hello, my name is Claire. I have been teaching piano and guitar since 1984.
I started teaching in my home and then branched out to a place where I wanted to have other teachers along side with me to offer more to students of music. Our studio welcomes everyone from the young to the elderly.

Becky

Piano Teacher

Becky studied classical piano with Marguerite Huizing from Gloversville and Edward Hausman at Skidmore College. She also studied Harpsichord from Robert Conant at the Foundation for Baroque Music in Greenfield Center. Upon completion of high school she attended the Crane School of Music and has been a private piano teacher for 18 years locally. Becky has played for weddings and church services and will accompany our music students.

Heather

Voice, Violin (Currently booked up), and Piano Teacher

I have been teaching at Claire's since 2007. I have earned a B.A. in Music Education K-12 with a concentration in voice from the College of Saint Rose and a Master's Degree in Music Education from Boston University. I teach violin, voice and piano lessons but also help students with musical auditions from grade school to college. I have been playing violin since 4th grade and studied voice from high school age through college. Everyone can learn music and I enjoy helping students explore the world of music through many different styles. My classes teach students the proper techniques to sing and play any style of music. I am an open book and I am not afraid to learn and change through my years of teaching to make a connection with my students on all levels of learning.

Archie

Guitar and Drums Teacher

Archie has played guitar for close to 40 years. He began his journey at the age of 8, when he received his fathers old guitar. After taking lessons for a number of years, his studies really got underway at Ann Arbor Community High, which has one of the best music programs in the country and has produced a number of well known musicians. He continued his studies at the New School in Manhattan. He has played with too many projects to name here and has had the good fortune to be part of projects that have been listed in the Grammy ballots twice. He is well versed in Country, R + B , Rock and Theory. He currently plays with the Skeeter Creek band and runs a small recording studio.

Aaron

Guitar Teacher

Aaron Cloutier is a musician, composer, producer and educator. A graduate of the Conservatory of Recording Arts and Sciences, Aaron's understanding of music production and songwriting has given him the opportunity to work with everyone from Ill Nino to world renowned actor Sir Christopher Lee. He is a music teacher of 15 years both in and out of schools and works with everyone from beginner to advanced.

When he's not working as a freelance musician for other artists or working with students, Aaron is typically at work on his own projects. He lives for the creative process and loves to compose in multiple genres on a near daily basis.

Areli

Voice Teacher

Areli has studied vocal technique and performance for over a decade. In high school, she participated in various musical theatre productions in the tri-city area and interned as an assistant stage/music director in her senior year. She attended Russell Sage College, where she received training and experience in musical theatre with the Theatre Institute at Sage. She later transferred to SUNY Schenectady School of Music for her vocal performance degree. During this time, she was educated in opera and classical performance as well as toured with a barbershop quartet she led. She has additionally travelled as a vocalist/keyboardist with The Fire Collective, a worship collective based in upstate New York. Since then she has also performed as both a singer-songwriter and classical soprano throughout the NYS Capital Region, Hudson Valley, New York City, and twice for a Toi Magazine conference based in California. In 2023, Areli received her Bachelor's degree in Opera Studies from the Purchase College Conservatory of Music. While attending Purchase, she gained experience in opera performance as well as art song style in various languages. Areli hopes to awaken a passion for singing in the hearts of her students, challenging them to discover the unique characteristics of their individual voices, as well as encouraging them to grow in technique and versatility.